A Mermaid's Melody
by Jelem
Summary: Gray, after discovering his best friend's engagement to the woman he loved, is left heartbroken. While on his way home one afternoon, he overhears a girl singing by the seashore. Was she a mermaid, a hallucination, or a real person?
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Harvest moon. (Sadly.)

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><p><strong>Prologue<br>**

Mineral town: Late Spring- Just now, everybody was gathered at the inn to witness a very important occasion, the celebration of the engagement of two of the town's citizens.

Gray stood gazing at the laughing couple. _Was it so wrong if he would wish for them to break up now? Was it so wrong if he would wish to be the one holding his best friend's girlfriend-no, fiancee instead of him? _Gray bitterly thought as he swept down his drink in one gulp.

"Gray! What are you doing there sulking? Come and join your best friend for God's sake! He just got engaged to a wonderful woman!" Duke patted his hand into Gray's back. "Of course, he will be the best man in your wedding will he, Jack?"

"Of course he will! You will be the best man in our wedding won't you Gray?" Jack smiled at him, while holding Mary's hand resting on his thigh. Gray frowned at his hand and went to pour himself another drink.

After drinking it down in one stroke, Gray replied, not looking right at him, "Of course."

"Well then it's settled!" Jack stood up and patted Gray in the shoulder. "I'm happy that you could be there right beside me."

Gray couldn't look him straight in the eye without wanting to punch him right there and now. He wanted to be alone. Badly. After drinking another glass, he finally excused himself from the festivities and went straight upstairs to his and Cliff's room. Thankfully, Cliff was still down there drinking with Ann, his girlfriend, obviously joyous in Jack's announcement. Gray looked himself fully at the mirror, annoyed why Mary had chosen Jack instead of him. Sure they were childhood friends but, that was a long time ago, and they only met each other again last year. Gray gripped the table tightly. _Was it so wrong to like her? Were they really meant for each other? Dammit! _Gray unbuttoned his work trousers and sat down to his bed. _I really need to rest. Maybe tomorrow, this would all be just a bad dream-a nightmare perhaps. _But deep down, he really doubted it.

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><p><em>Gray… Gray… Gray…<em>

Gray heard someone calling. It was a female voice. Very soothing and angelic.

_Gray. Gray, wake up._

"Hmmm..." Gray hugged his pillow tighter.

_Gray. Gray. I said wake up GRAY!_

Gray woke up with a start. Groggily, he reached out to his watch on top of his desk. "Gray, wait!" Gray had not realized he was already on the edge of his bedside.

THUD!

"Aaugghh!" Gray fell face first to the floor. Clutching his nose, he unsteadily stood up and glared at his roommate who was already chuckling.

"I tried to warn you. But you already fell before I could finish."

"Yeah thanks a lot for laughing." Gray massaged his nose. "What time is it? Holy cr- Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"I did wake you up an hour ago, and you said 'Yes I'm already awake.' So I left you to go and have breakfast downstairs. I didn't realize you were only sleep talking."

Gray shook his head in annoyance. He quickly donned his work attire and tied his shoes. _Crap! Grandpa's gonna yell at me again. _Grabbing his favorite hat, he ran downstairs.

"Gray! Have some breakfast."

"I'm already late Ann."

"Well, have some sandwich then." Ann tossed him two wrapped up sandwiches.

Catching the sandwiches, he grabbed the rim of his hat and replied, "Thanks Ann" and sped out of the inn. He ran as fast as he could, but his grandfather was already glaring at him when he came inside the shop.

"Late again, Gray. Even if you were up all night celebrating with Jack and Mary, you still have to wake up early for work."

Gray winced at his grandfather's statement. _I was not celebrating. I was drowning myself in misery of having the only woman I deeply loved snatched away by my best friend. _

Gray took his hammer and the tool he was working on yesterday and started to hammer it._  
><em>

_Hmmm…__ Weird, he's not yelling at me for being late today. He'll probably yell at me later when I'm working. _

Gray was heating the tool when his grandfather said, "Gray, tomorrow, when the shop is closed, are you going to Forget-Me-Not Valley?" Gray nodded. "Well, when you go to Forget-Me-Not Valley, bring home some Mystrile ores for us to upgrade some tools."

_Like it's that easy to find mystrile ores. _"Yes, I'll try to find some tomorrow."

"Good." A few minutes passed of forging and hammering iron when Saibara's voice rang out inside the shop. "Don't hammer it like that boy! Are you trying to destroy that tool?"

_Thought so. _"No I'm not trying to destroy it. Just leave me be and I'll finish it."

"What and let you destroy it? No way. Until I am completely sure that you are master blacksmith, I'll continue to watch over you and you're progress."

_By that time, I'm sure you'll be six feet under. _"Yeah, yeah grandpa. I'll try to become a good blacksmith."

"Not just a good blacksmith my boy, the best in the whole area!"

Gray smirked. _In grandpa's twisted manner of talking, I actually feel lighter. _"Yes, I'll become the best around here."

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><p>"Best around the area my ass!" Gray slumped down his bed, tired from all the hard work. "He had me worked non-stop all day! Four tool upgrades! What was that old man thinking?"<p>

Gray looked at the ceiling, the same old ceiling when he had arrived at Mineral Town to stay four years ago. _Everything's the same, it never changes. I always get shunned aside. _Gray placed his arm across his eyes. _What a crappy life I have. _And with that, Gray fell into a deep sleep.

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><p><strong>A.N. <strong>Whoppee! After so many years of being just a reader, I am finally writing my first fanfic! (Although I've written dozens of chapters in my other stories, while I was writing this fanfic, the words just flew across my mind. I just have to finish this.) Review please! ^^


	2. Chapter I  Was that a Mermaid?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Harvest moon. (How much is it for one character? ^^) Also, I don't own the piece "Fields of Hope."

**Updated:**_ April 19, 2011_**  
><strong>

****Chapter I - Was that a Mermaid?**  
><strong>

Mineral town: Inn, 7:00 am, 28th of Spring

Inside the inn, only four people were present, Ann, Doug, Cliff, and Gray, who was still upstairs sleeping. Doug was cleaning some tables; Cliff quietly ate his breakfast and Ann was cooking more breakfast. After laying aside some bacon and eggs for Gray, Ann took some toast and eggs and sat beside Cliff.

"Could you pass the pitcher?"

Cliff passed Ann the pitcher of water. After pouring herself a glass, Ann asked Cliff, "You know, Gray seems a little unsociable ever since Jack and Mary's engagement."

"Mmm…" Cliff shrugged. "He has always been unsociable."

"But not this time! He hasn't eaten a decent meal since yesterday and he snubbed me and went straight to bed last night! On six o'clock in the evening!"

"You're over-reacting; he's just tired from work that's all. Imagine having Saibara as you're grandfather/employer and you'll understand what he's like." Cliff tore off a huge bacon slice and chewed on it.

"No I'm not over-reacting; he has always eaten lunch and dinner even when he's tired for the past four years. Something's wrong Cliff, and as his roommate, you should ask him." Ann stated as a matter of fact.

"I'll try but don't expect me to get a decent answer." Cliff drank his water.

Ann toyed around her eggs. "You know, I think Gray's in love with Mary."

Cliff spurted out some water and coughed several times. Teary-eyed, he replied, "What?"

"Oh don't tell me you hadn't notice it Cliff. He was practically showering her with glances every time they see each other." Cliff gave her a look of disbelief an Ann sighed. "No way, you didn't notice it."

"B-B-But Mary got engaged to Jack, his own best friend!" Cliff stammered.

"Yeah, we all know that." Ann ate her toast.

"How in the world did you know that Gray's got a crush on Mary?"

Ann smiled devilishly. "Woman's instinct, of course!"

_I bet that's the one where they know their husband is cheating on them. _Cliff thought.

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><p>Gray stared up again at the ceiling. <em>If I keep this up, I'll be an expert at staring at ceilings. <em> Heaving a long sigh, he sat up on his bed and looked at his watch. It was already 7:30 am. _If I want to finish and go home early, I should be leaving around 8:30. I' should be arriving at Forget-Me-Not Valley at around 9:30. _ Gray stood up and started to dress when Cliff entered the room.

"Oh, um, I see that you're up," Cliff scratched his head. "There's some breakfast downstairs. Ah, Ann told me that you should have breakfast." Cliff shifted his footing from left to right and then again to left. Gray raised his eyebrows at him. "Well then, see you downstairs." Cliff awkwardly waved then dashed out of the room.

_What's his problem? _Gray shook his head. _Probably high on sugar again._

After grabbing his favourite hat, he walked downstairs to find Ann teasing Cliff about something. Laughing, she smacked her hand at Cliff's backside, earning her a grunt.

"Gray! Have some breakfast!" Doug's voice boomed inside the inn.

Gray murmured thanks and took his bacon and eggs and sat across Cliff. While he was eating, he couldn't help but notice Ann's snickers and Cliff's uneasiness. "All right, what did you do to Cliff?" Gray looked straight at Ann.

"Nothing, I just told him a secret."

Gray raised an eyebrow at Ann while she looked back at him sweetly. Not convinced but not wanting to inquire further, Gray continued to eat his breakfast.

"Ann, help me out here." Doug called from the storeroom.

"Coming Pa." Ann hurriedly left the table.

"Are you going to Forget-Me-Not Valley again Gray?" Cliff asked.

Gray nodded at him and drank his water. After finishing his breakfast, Gray stood up and bade goodbye to them.

"See you later Gray!" Ann yelled from the storeroom.

"Yeah, see you later." Gray grabbed his rucksack and left the inn.

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><p>"Why did I have to open my big mouth?"<p>

Gray exhaled, exhausted from mining. It's already 3:30 in the afternoon and he had only mined copper and silver ores, sometimes even gold ores, but he could not find any mystrile ores. Crouching down, he tried to regain some strength after hammering those rocks nonstop. _Fortunately, there's Carter and Flora in the mine's entrance so if ever I'm in danger they would help me… I hope… _Gray sighed. _What a rotten week this week is. _A few moments passed and Gray stood up again to hammer more rocks.

Thwack! Another copper ore.

Thwack! Nothing inside

Thwack! Nothing inside again.

Thwack! Another silver ore.

Thwack!

"What the-"

Gray bent down to examine more closely. He took the stone and held it against the light.

"No way, it's a sapphire!"

The stone glistened against the light, making a scattered ray of light shine against him.

_Well, this week's not that bad after all. My first gemstone. _Gray smiled and then he packed the gemstone in his rucksack. _Maybe I should call it a day? Granpa's gonna like it when I brought home a gemstone. _Then suddenly, Gray imagined his grandfather's retort. _"A sapphire? I asked for mystrile ores not a sapphire!" _Gray frowned at the thought. _Yep, I'm sure that's what grandpa's gonna say. Maybe I should keep mining for mystrile ores. _Gray looked around for the entrance to the next mine. It was on the left from the previous entrance. He marked the entrance where he had originated from and preceded the next level in the mine.

Thwack! Nothing inside.

Thwack! A mystrile ore.

"Finally!" Gray smiled. _I thought I'm never going to find one._ He placed the ore in his bag and began again to hammer the rocks. When he was finally done, he had gotten 12 copper ores, 7 silver ores, 5 gold ores and 4 mystrile ores. Tired from mining all day, Gray wanted to come home really fast and slump down his bed here and there. As soon as he arrived at the mine's entrance, Carter and Flora greeted him.

"Gray going back to Mineral town? Why don't you stop by Mitemi Inn first?" Flora said.

"Yeah, you're out of drinking water I suppose, and grab a bite to eat before you head back." Carter exclaimed.

_I suppose they're right. _"Yeah, I'll stop by the inn. Thanks for letting me mine here."

"Sure, sure. You're always welcomed here Gray." Flora smiled.

"Well, see you next Thursday." Carter shook hands with Gray.

Gray grabbed the rim of his hat and smiled, and then went on his way.

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><p><em>I stayed too long. <em>Gray looked at the sky. The sun had already set; orange-reddish light was vastly enveloping the area. _Damn! I gotta hurry home._

Gray started walking when he heard someone singing. It was faint but he could hear the words.

_Beneath the veil of starry sky_

_As cold as winter's darkest night_

_It's there you'll sleep, silent and deep_

_You're all alone_

Gray looked around to see who was singing. He could hear someone singing by the beach. Dazed, he went closer. There was a blonde–haired girl sitting in a rock, the waves lapping up at her hips. She took a deep breath and sang again.

_A single prayer's soft melody_

_Across the lonely silent fields_

_A little light begins to shine, it shines on and on_

_I watched you as you so peacefully dreamed_

_You laughed like a child, happy and care free_

_It's so familiar and yet so far_

_That's the future is promised for you and me_

_One day on a green and shining morn_

_One day we will finally make through_

_Cause in this sky, so dark with winter_

_We still have to believe that it's true_

_Fields of hope_

Dumbfounded, Gray couldn't move from his place. _She's…stunning… _Gray stared at her more, only to be brought back in reality by a dog barking. He turned to see a dog running past him and towards the sea. _Crap, I need to get going._ With a glance at the girl, he continued walking towards the valley's entrance. Gray stopped near the bridge to look again at the girl, but she had already disappeared. Gray was craned his neck to look for her. After a minute or two, he still hadn't found the girl. Looking at his watch, Gray decided that he should get going. _What the- Was I imagining things? _Gray frowned. _Was that a__…mermaid?_

**A.N. **O.o I just got my first reviews, thanks to _**lollipopdiego, kuubie, coolestperson19, Peach the Hedgehog, **__**Kurayami Angel, tufted titmouse**_ for your review! And also, thanks for those who added my story to their Story alert! ^^ You don't know how much inspiring it is for a first-timer when they get reviews for their story… Thank you very much! ^^

**Sidenote:** Yeah, I know that it's little bit impossible for Gray to hear and see the girl when you look at the map of Forget-Me-Not Valley or played Harvest Moon DS Cute/A Wonderful Life, but I really need to make the scene in the seaside, so just imagine that Gray has a super hearing and eyesight okay. ^^ Oh, I was inspired to use Fields of Hope after seeing it in an fmv with Harvest moon pictures in Youtube. Sad to say, I can't find it anymore… .

**P.S.** I've established Fields of Hope as a common song in all of my upcoming Harvest moon fanfics so just bear with it okay. ^^


	3. Chapter II Friends

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Harvest moon.

**Updated: **_May 11, 2011_

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><p><strong>Chapter II – Friends<strong>

Mineral town: Library, 11:00 am, 29th of Spring.

"Hey Jack, how did you and big brother Gray became best friends?"

Stu and May eyed Jack curiously. Mary chuckled while Jack looked confused. "Err, why do you ask something like that?"

"Because big brother Gray always has this big frown in his face," Stu pointed his mouth downwards. "And his eyebrows always looked connected."

"And everyone in the village calls him Saibara Jr. Why is that big brother Jack? Saibara's Gray's grandfather right? Why call him Jr.?" May asked him curiously.

Jack was startled. _Ehhh… I'm pretty sure he's eyebrows don't connect._ Jack scratched his head. "Uhh… Actually I don't even know how we became best friends."

Jack heard a feminine giggle. He turned to see his fiancee close a book she was reading at the library's counter and stood up to sit beside him. She looked at him sweetly and said, "Actually, I don't mind hearing how the two of you became such good friends."

"That's the problem; I don't remember HOW we became friends." Jack scratched his right cheek. "It just happened, that's all."

May frowned. "Big brother Jack's not that smart."

Mary laughed. "What! It's not my fault I don't remember." Jack crossed his arms and leaned against the chair, tilting it. Deep in thought, he tried to reminisce how he and Gray became friends. _How did we become friends? _After a minute, a memory flashed across his mind. "Ah! I remember now!" Jack slammed his chair down and grinned. "I remember how we became friends!" And Jack started to tell them.

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><p><em>1 year ago <strong><span>(Okay, the words that are not italicized are thoughts.)<span>**_

"_Well then that's about the basics of farming, but I'm sure you already know all about that. I'm sure your grandfather would be proud to know that you took over the farm." Mayor Thomas clapped Jack's back and began to leave. He stopped and added, "Oh, after taking a look at the farm, introduce yourself to the villagers so that they would get to know the town's newest rancher!" Mayor Thomas grinned._

"_Hahaha. Thanks, I'll do just that." Jack waved and entered the house. He scanned around the place. It was exactly as he had remembered it, only a little bit dusty but, it was still-_

"_Granpa's home."_

_Jack smiled at the memories he had when he was a child. Only every summer would he and his younger sister go and visit his grandfather and help him take care of the farm. Even if Forget-Me-Not valley was near, they were not allowed to travel without any chaperone. Their parents would usually let them stay until the day before the opening of classes. When his grandfather had died, Jack felt devastated that he wasn't able to spend the last summer with him because he had a camp training in football for a month and a half. Now that he is finished with his studies, he decided to take up farming here in Mineral town instead at Forget-Me-Not valley. Hopefully, Jill would take care of the farm there._

_Jack frowned. He remembered how his parents died. His mother died when he and Jill were 15 and 14 years old due to childbirth and sadly, their little brother couldn't make it. His father died over a year ago, due to a heart attack. "Now that I think of it," Jack said, "We look pitiful." _But, we had brilliant time together as a family, and, with so many cousins visiting every now and then, we weren't lonely at all._ In fact, every birthday their house would be full of cakes sent by their cousins._

_ Jack settled down his bag beside the table and sat in the bed, only to realize that it was full of dust. The minute he sat on it, a big puff of dust exploded unto him. Coughing, he ran to open the door for some fresh air. _Great thinking Jack. You just have to sit on a bed that has probably seven years' worth of dust._ Inhaling, he noticed the barn was a bit worn down, and the door of the chicken coop was hanging by its hinge. _I have to replace those. Hmmm… I wonder if old man Gotz is still here. _He walked back inside and stared down at his grandfather's old tools. _This need some upgrading too. But I still don't have enough money to upgrade it. Luckily, Pony handed me some turnip and cabbage seeds. I'll plant those later for some extra money._ Jack looked outside. _

"_Well then, let's get working shall we Ben?" He looked his dog._

"_Arf!" the beagle replied._

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><p>Mineral town hasn't changed much.<p>

_Jack thought as he surveyed the town. It was still the same even after 8 years. _Come to think of it. I hadn't seen her since then. I wonder, is she still here? _Jack remembered the girl he frequently played with when he was younger. But, it seems that he really does have a short memory, because he doesn't even remember her name or what she looks like. _Meh, I hope that I'll find her, whoever she is. _After introducing himself to the residents at Poultry Farm and Yodel Ranch, he went to his next destination, the Blacksmith. As soon as he had opened the door, he was already greeted with shouts and banging. _

"_Not like that boy! Hammer it with care!"_

"_Maybe if you weren't shouting at me since morning, I would be able to hammer it more carefully!"_

"_Why you cheeky brat!"_

"_Uhhh… Hello?"_

_The two of them stopped fighting immediately. Jack scratched his head. "Umm… You two were arguing very intensely and umm… I was afraid you two would start throwing things at each other."_

"_Shut up."_

"_Gray! Be quiet!" The old man faced Jack and opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it suddenly. He abruptly walked closer to Jack to stare at him._

"_Umm…" Jack said nervously._ Uh-oh, do I have some dirt in my face? I knew I should've washed my face after sitting in that bed!

_After several seconds, Saibara broke into a smile and laughed. "Well waddya look at that! It's that old man's grandson, Jack!" Saibara clasped his hand. "Been several years since we last met hasn't it? My, you've grown to be the very image of your own grandfather!" Saibara's eyes twinkled. Jack smiled uneasily at him while Gray rolled his eyes and went back to work._

"_So, I guess you'll frequently stop by here."_

"_Yeah, grandpa's tools are all old and rusty so I'll probably upgrade them after a few weeks."_

"_Well, you need to bring some ores first before you could upgrade it. I suppose you still remember the way to the mines?" Jack nodded. "Good! Don't worry! Me and my grandson over there would take care of your tools!"_

Oh, so he's his grandson. I thought I saw a resemblance, both being so grouchy. _Jack bade goodbye to the both of them and continued to his next destination: the library._

_Jack stared at the building first, admiring large structure. _Wow, Claire's gonna love this. She loves reading books. _Jack opened the door and peeped inside. "Helloooo. Is somebody here?"_

"_Oh! Wait just a minute; I'll be there in a jiffy." A feminine voice replied._

_Jack entered and scanned around. _Whoah, Claire IS going to love this. This place is HUGE. Hmm… I wonder where that librarian is. _Jack looked around the first floor, but no one was there. He then went up the stairs and saw a black-haired woman up in a ladder returning some books into their places. _

Oh, there she is. I guess I should help her._ He slowly walked to her but his movement must've startled the woman. She suddenly turned at him and lost her footing at the ladder._

"_Eeek!"_

_Jack rushed forward to catch her. He caught her by the waist but the girl's weight pulled both of them down. Jack landed hard on his butt causing him to grunt loudly. The girl on the other hand, landed on top of him._

"_Oh dear. I'm so sorry!" The girl blushed crimson as she got off him. She hung her head to hide her embarrassment at him. Jack looked at her in one eye as he tried to massage his butt. _She's cute, but, owwww… My butt hurts…

_The girl twiddled her thumbs as she tried to say something. After opening, closing, and then opening her mouth again to say something, when she looked at him in the eye she suddenly closed her mouth again. It was rather comical. _Eh, it's beginning to be awkward. _Jack stood up wincing, and then he held a hand for the girl. The girl quietly took his hand and also stood up, but she still refused to look at him in the eye. Jack scratched his head. _Definitely awkward. _He stretched out his arm to the girl and introduced himself. "Hello. I'm Jack Peter Avalon and I'm taking over my grandpa's farm near the mountains."_

"_The farm near the mountains?" The girls head perked up. She stared at Jack as though she was trying to remember something._

Eh? Could she be—that girl 8 years ago? _Jack also stared at her. _She has nice eyes. Perfectly shaped-almond eyes. _After a few more seconds, the girl finally looked away and took Jack's hand. "Hello. My name is Mary Sommers. Nice to meet you Jack."_

Oh, maybe I was mistaken. She should've remembered me by now. Then again, I couldn't even remember _her _so maybe she wouldn't recall me. Or maybe she had moved to another place. _Jack frowned at himself. _Aaahhh! Stupid Jack! Why do you have to be so darn forgetful! _ He looked at the girl again._

"_Well then, I should get going now."_

"_Oh thank you by the way. For catching me back there!"_

"_Nah. It was my fault. I startled you."_

"_Come again sometime Jack!"_

_Jack looked back at her. She was blushing. _Wow, she really is cute. _"Yeah, I'll stop by here. You've got a lot of impressive books here." Jack smiled and waved. Mary responded him with a smile. Jack turned his back. _Hmmm…. Where to next?

* * *

><p><em> "Darn. I could've sworn I recall farming was fun."<em>

_Jack mumbled after clearing his grandfather- no, **his** field of rocks, weed and branches two days after he planted his seeds. He was just so tired greeting and introducing himself to all the villagers the other day and yesterday that he just ploughed, planted and watered some seeds in his farm, never bothering to clean it. _At this rate, I'll never finish early. _He had planned earlier to go to the mine today so that he could mine some ores for upgrades and for shipment but it was already nearing 12nn. Jack rumpled up his hair in annpyance and made up his mind. _I'll do this later. I need some money tomorrow to buy some food and clearing up my field isn't going to give me that! _Gathering his rucksack and his old hammer and hoe, he went to the mines._

_Before arriving at the mines, he passed by the Harvest Spring and tossed a flower to the Harvest Goddess. She popped up and smiled at him. "Thanks for the flower, do you need something Jack?"_

_"Nah. I'm fine. Only, I'm going to the mines and could you do me a favour? If I'm not back before 6pm could you send somebody to help me?"_

_"Of course I will! You and your family are the only ones who can see me and my siblings and my harvest sprites. I won't let anything bad happen to you and your family."_

_"Thanks a lot HG!" Jack grinned at her and the Harvest Goddess went back to the spring. Jack continued on to the path towards the mine. Once inside, he already started hammering rocks and ploughing for black herbs and for the next entrance. He was so engaged in doing his work that he did not notice that somebody else was already there._

_Thwack! _

_Thwack! _

_Thwack!_

_"Aaah! Where's my damn iron ore! Come out you stupid piece of rock!"_

_"You do know that's not the way you mine for things."_

_"Whoah!" Jack jumped at the voice. He turned to see Gray standing at the corner, a pile of broken rocks beside him. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work at the blacksmith's?"_

_"It's Thursday. The shop's always close on Thursdays."_

_"Oh, is that so." _Eh, I'm stuck in the same floor in the mine with Saibara Jr. Joy.

_An awkward silence filled the mines as the both of them continued to say nothing. Finally, Gray turned his back and continued to smash some rocks. Jack copied him and went back to breaking rocks. _

_Thwack!_

_Thwack! _

_A black ore came out of the rock._

_"Yohoo! I got an Iron ore!" Jack yelled as he got his first ore._

_"Be quiet. You could cause a cave-in here."_

_Jack scowled. "Aww… come on man. You could at least be happy that I found myself my first ore."_

_"Yippee, why don't you get a trophy case and put it there." Gray replied sarcastically as he broke more stones._

_"Man what is your problem? You really put up with your reputation as Saibara Jr."_

_Gray stopped and turned at him, glaring. "Saibara Jr.?"_

_"Yup, that's what the other people call you. That's because the two of you have identical glares and your way of talking get into other people's nerves."_

_"Well too bad for them, I was raised like this."_

_"You need some serious anger management there pal." Jack stared at Gray's back, his face hidden by his hat and the mine's darkness._ _Jack whistled low and shook his head. _Man he's so grumpy.

_Grrrrowwwl…_

_Gray looked at him questioningly. Jack raised both of his hands "That wasn't me. I ate this morning."_

_Grrrroooowwl…_

_Gray looked at him again. "That wasn't me I swear!" Jack exclaimed. _

_"If that wasn't you whose is it?"_

_"I dunno, maybe it's yours."_

_"I already ate lunch."_

_"Well, I ate a pretty big breakfast so that was certainly not mine."_

_Grrrroooowwl…_

_The sound was definitely getting louder. And it was coming from the dark corner of the mine that hasn't been explored yet._

_"Uhhh... Maybe we should get going." Jack said uneasily._

_Gray wanted to argue further but closed his mouth when he heard another grrrroooowwl…_

_"Yeah. We **definitely **should get going."_

_"Well there's the entrance so we should probably—whoa, holy s—"_

_A bear's head appeared from the darkness of the mine. His round, black eyes stared at them._

_ "Uh, Gray, climb up the stairs now. Climb up. Climb up. Climb up. NOW!"_

_Gray scampered up the stairs while Jack followed. Apparently, the bear was irritated at the Jack's sudden outburst and came chasing and growling after them. _

_"Sh—" Jack quickly ran up the stairs and another stairs until he could find the exit to the mines. Outside, it was already dark and Gray was panting nearby. Jack sat down beside him to rest._

_"What the—hell-was that—bear doing—down there?"_

_"I dunno. Maybe he got lost finding mushrooms in the cave."_

_Gray asked while taking several breaths of fresh air. Jack shrugged and looked at him. The both of them locked eyes for a second and then suddenly broke into laughter. They laughed and laughed until their stomachs ached. Wiping a tear out of his eye, Jack clapped Gray's back. "You know, you're not so grumpy after all. You should hang out with me more often. Who knows, maybe you'll become a more carefree person."_

_"What and gets chased often by bears? No thanks."_

_"Aww… Come on. You need at least one friend to hang out with and don't count your pets."_

_Gray looked at him hard. Several minutes later he stood up and grabbed the rim of his hat. _

_"I'll think about it." And then he left. _

_Jack stared at him as he disappeared from his view. He then chuckled. _Man, he's one hard egg to crack. _But Jack already knew that he had already made a friend. _

I better get going then. _He stood up and grabbed his rucksack and headed down the mountain. He stopped by the goddess spring to let the Harvest Goddess know he was going home._

_"Hey HG!"_

_The goddess popped up and smiled. "Hey Jack! Did you see my messenger down the mines?"_

_Jack's smile vanished quickly. "Messenger?"_

_"Yeah. I sent Mr. bear down the mines to check up on you."_

_Jack was flabbergasted. "You sent that bear!"_

_"Of course! You told me to send someone to check up on you." Harvest Goddess smiled at him. "Well seeing that you're fine. I'm going back to sleep now. See you tomorrow!" And then she disappeared again._

_Jack was left with his mouth hanging. He gulped and closed his eyes to straighten his thoughts. _No way. Couldn't she had sent a **person **instead of a bear. _Jack took off his hat and washed his face with the spring's water. _One thing's for sure, Gray will kill me if he finds out.

* * *

><p>"And that's how me and Gray became best friends." Jack finished proudly. Only he hadn't noticed that halfway of his storytelling, May and Stu was already bobbing their heads and by the time he was finished Stu was already drooling on the table and May's head was at the head of the chair. Mary was half smiling because of his story and the other half because of the two children falling asleep while he was talking. As Jack was opening his mouth to say something, Mary signaled him to be quiet. That was the only time Jack noticed that the two were sleeping and he frowned at them. "Hmph! Next time, I won't ever tell them stories again!" he mumbled.<p>

"Don't worry; when we have kids, I'll let you tell them bedtime stories." Mary whispered.

Jack blushed at Mary's statement. Unexpectedly, the library became very hot, well at least for him anyways. As he averted his eyes at Mary, he saw the time at the wall clock. It was already 4:45 pm.

"What! It's almost five?"

Both of the kids woke up at his sudden outburst and smiled apologetically at Mary who was looking at him crossly. "Well um, I need to go now. I left my animals grazing so I'll have to herd them back to the barn and coop. I'll stop bye later okay?" Kissing Mary at her forehead and pinching Stu's nose, he left the library and went back to his farm.

* * *

><p>Jack noticed that he had mail when he had finally herded his animals back to their places.<p>

_What the- A letter, at this time of day? _Jack opened his mailbox and saw a telegram. _From a Cherryville hospital? _Instantly, his face paled and his heart became heavy with dread. After reading the telegram, he dropped it ran as fast as he could to the inn.

"BAM!"

He had carelessly opened the door of the inn. Everyone inside as surprised and looked at him.

"What the- Jack! What's wrong?"

Jack ignored Ann and quickly walked to the counter.

"I'll use it for a while Doug."

"Sure but, what's the matter Jack?"

Jack also ignored him and silently dialed a number. _I've never seen him like this. _Gray thought as he looked curiously at Jack. _Something's up._

After a minute or two without answering, Jack hung up the receiver again and redialed the number. Finally after four tries, somebody picked up.

"What the hell happened?" A mumble could be heard from the receiver. "She what? How did she end up in a tree in the first place?" Another long pause. "Is she alright now?" Jack slapped his forehead. "Of course it will hurt she fell down knee first! Okay, I'll be there at the hospital first thing in the morning."

Jack put down the phone's receiver. He looked at all of them and stated. "I'm going to Forget-Me-Not valley."

* * *

><p><strong>A.N. <strong>Meh, I have absolutely had no reason why I could update this late when it's still summer here… I had another attack of laziness and writer's block… Hopefully, this would be gone in the upcoming days… I've made it extra-long to make up for the past few days. Anyways, thanks to: **_jigokunooujo, Etoile of the twilight, lollipopdiego, kuubie, Massu Chan, and tufted titmouse _**for reviewing. Don't worry, I'll try to update soon! ^^

Oh yeah, Jill's full name is Jillian Rose Avalon, but her nickname's Pony. I'm just clearing this up in the upcoming chapters because from time to time, she would be called Pony or Jill. And also, don't you find it VERY weird that Jack in the PS game of Harvest Moon couldn't even remember who his childhood friend is? Even if he couldn't remember the face, at least he could've remembered the girl's hair colour. All of the bachelorettes in Mineral have individual hair colours. :P

**Author's ramblings:** My brother bought my cousin's wii which means… I can finally play Animal Parade! ^^ But then, after a day of playing it, I realized… WHERE THE HELL WAS GILL? And then I read that I have to ring the blue bell first to meet him and then ring the green bell to finally court him… Marvelous Inc., why do you have to be so hard on us… : I only wanted to meet and court Gill, why do I have to play about 30 days just to be able to meet him and court him? Their so cruel… Anyways, this is one of the reasons why I haven't been able to write that fast… It's because a little devil beside me wants me to write the fanfic I have of AP, that's why I haven't been able to concentrate writing. But don't worry, I have the story all planned in my head.


	4. Chapter III The New Farmer

**Chapter III – The New Farmer**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Harvest moon.

**Updated: **_Aug. 29, 2011_

* * *

><p>Mineral town Inn, 8:00pm, 29th of Spring<p>

Mineral town was in an uproar after learning they were going to have a new farmer. That night, after making that phone call, Jack collapsed into a nearby chair and covered his face with his hands. 

_He's shaking. _Gray observed. _He must be terrified when he learned of whatever-news-it-was. _Ann put a glass of water beside Jack and patted his shoulder.

"There, there. I'm sure everything's okay now."

Jack mumbled thanks and drank from the glass. Silence still reigned over the inn.

_Ughh… What's with this tense atmosphere? Think Gray, even if he stole the woman of your dreams, he's still your best friend. _Gray shrugged.

"So you're gonna tell us what happened?"

Jack looked at him unexpectedly, as if he was looking at him for the first time and then he surveyed the inn, noting the people who were there. Finally, he looked at Gray again and slowly asked him, "My sister, Jillian, you remember her right?"

Gray nodded. _How could I forget that tomboyish farm girl who almost decked me after I called her a tomboy? _"What happened?"

"She was returning some bird into its nest up a tree near the farm and fell down feet first to the ground."

_Ouch. That's going to hurt. _

"My cousin's taking care of here right now." Jack continued. "Tomorrow, at first light I'm going to Forget-Me-Not-Valley to visit her." Jack closed his eyes for a moment, and then he faced Gray and asked, "Could you and Mary look after the farm while I'm away?"

Gray raised his eyebrows. _What the- I'm busy as it is! _Gray opened his mouth to say no when he closed it again to reconsider. _Consider it Gray; you could talk to Mary more often without looking suspicious. _Gray shooked his head and stared at Jack directly. _He's my best friend. I'll do this as a favour to him._ After a moment or two, Gray sighed and grabbed the rim of his hat. "Fine, but only for a few days!"

Jack smiled sadly, and then stood up. "I'll go and visit Mary now." Waving the others goodbye, Jack left the inn.

"Oooh… This is going to be the talk of the town." Ann breathed.

* * *

><p>For the past two days, Jack stayed at the hospital caring for his sister. Twice a day, he would call in to ask what was happening and how the farm was, and usually, Mary was the one who would always talk to him, filling him in and asking him about Jill. Then on the afternoon of the second of summer, Jack went back to Mineral town to break the news: He was going to stay for a while to take care of his sister and her farm in Forget-Me-Not Valley while his cousin will take care of his own farm.<p>

"But why should he take care of his sister and not his cousin? I mean, they're both girls right? And he's a boy?" Popuri declared hotly, crossing her arms as she and the other girls cornered Mary inside the library.

"Jack needs to be there for his sister." Mary stated as-a-matter-of-fact. "He's the only one left for his sister to depend on and besides," Mary looked at them squarely in the eye. "You've seen how he reacted when he learned his sister was in an accident. He was practically shaking!"

"I wasn't there. Only Ann witnessed him shaking."

"The point is guys; He needs to be there for his family and if he can't do this tiny little thing, how can he take care of-" Mary blushed and hid herself in a book she was reading. "How can he take care of our family when we're married?"

All four girls looked at each other surprised and smiling. Taking Mary's hand, they grinned at her and said simultaneously, "Well, at least he's honest-"

"And sweet-"

"And a loving man."

"And we're sure you two are perfect for each other."

Mary's eyes glistened with tears. _Haha… I guess this is what it feels having four BFFs. _She beamed at them. "Yeah, I am happy to be with him."

"Hmmm… So," Karen looked at Mary inquisitively. "Tell us more about our new farmer."

Mary placed her hand on her right cheek. _Claire? Hmmm… How can I exactly describe her? _"Well, she's Jack's cousin from his father's side of the family. She's from the city and she had already finished college. And she lives with her mother."

"I didn't ask for those details. I mean, what is she like? Is she kind? Is she sweet? Does she like boys? Or gir-wait, erase that thought. Um, does she cook well? Is she beautiful? Or, I dunno," Karen raised her hands in exasperation when she saw Mary trying to hold back her laughter. "Does she look like a horse? Does she have front teeth just like a mouse? C'mon Mary! Answer us! You know we're dying to know!"

Mary laughed hard. Trying to picture Claire looking like a horse and having front teeth just like a mouse was just too far outstretched_. _"No, umm." Mary inhaled deeply and continued. "Well I could say she's beautiful. She has long, waist-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but she hasn't had a boyfriend since birth and I have no reason why she doesn't have one. She likes books, likes to pet practically any animal and loves singing. Jack also swears she's a true-blue Avalon because she also likes to farm, even though she has blonde hair instead of brown and she's from the city."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend?" Ann inquired.

Mary nodded.

"And she's going to stay for a while here in Mineral town, right?"

Mary nodded again, this time raising her eyebrows questioningly at Ann.

"Did Jack already upgrade his farming tools?"

"He was planning to upgrade them into gold and mystrile tools."

Elli interrupted. "Uhh… Where is this going Ann?"

"Nothing. I just got a crazy idea that I think might work."

"What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just planning that we could make use of one less grumpy blacksmith around here."

Pregnant silence reigned over the library. But that was only for a few seconds before the girls practically screamed at Ann on how ridiculous her scheme was.

"That won't work!"

"It's ridiculous!"

"This is THE Gray Renton we're talking about." Popuri grabbed Ann' shoulders and shook her. "THE grandson of THE Saibara Renton!" Ann slapped away her hands and shrugged. "Oh come on. It could work."

"Since when have you become a matchmaker?"

"Since I saw how lonely Gray is. I mean, c'mon, Karen's got Rick, Popuri's got Kai, Elli's got Doc, I got Cliff and you got Jack. Who else would he go after, May?"

"Eeww… Please don't turn other people into paedophiles Ann." Elli interjected.

Ann smiled out fully. The other girls groaned; they knew that when Ann sets out to do something, it's like trying to hold back an incoming tide.

"How do you even know that it will work?" Karen stared at Ann.

"Oh, just a hunch." Ann eyed at them deviously. "And I plan to make it happen."

_Ooohh… I feel sorry for the new girl. _All four other girls thought and sighed.

* * *

><p>Jack spent the next day packing and making arrangements for his cousin to settle in. The word around town is, Jack is going to stay for more or less a year with his sister to help her recuperate and to help around with the family farm. On the morning of the fourth of Summer, Jack was finally ready to leave, but not until his cousin had arrived at Mineral town would he go to Forget-Me-Not Valley.<p>

But it seems that his cousin had broken her watch some time ago.

"Where in the world is she?"

Jack paced around the farm for the umpteenth time. Sunset was already approaching and still no signs of his cousin.

Seating under the Apple tree were Gray and Mary who had already busied themselves with something. Mary was reading _The Anarchy_ while Gray had already dozed off hours earlier and was now playing with Ben.

"Aaaarggghh!"

Gray eyed Jack. _He better_ _thank the Goddess it was Thursday. Otherwise I'd let him wait for his cousin all by himself, friend or no friend._

"I can't believe this! What the hell's taking her so long?" Jack faced them. "I'm going to check where she is."

Mary and Gray both nodded and watched as he stormed off to a distance. Suddenly, a thought crossed Gray's mind. _I'm all alone with Mary. _Gray sneaked a glance towards Mary as she continued to read her book. _It's been a long time since I was all alone with her. I'm glad._ Gray smiled against Ben's ears.

"CLAIRE ALEXANDRA AVALON ROBERTS! WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK IT IS?"

Both of them jerked their heads up and looked at each other as they both stood up. Jack's angry voice had even reached the farm. _Whoa, I bet everyone heard his voice. I've never heard him this angry._ Gray put his hands on his pocket and stared at the farm. _Think about it Gray, with Jack gone you could woo Mary into loving you. _Gray grimaced at the thought. _And what Gray, mess up the friendship you have with your one and only best friend. _Gray kicked a stone and watch it flew a feet away from him. _But don't deny it; you're happy when you're with her._ Gray bowed his head lower. _And then what? steal her away from my best friend? _He was so engrossed with the battle with his inner conscience that he hadn't heard Jack call out to him. He suddenly jumped when a hand grasped his left shoulder and saw Jack smirking.

"C'mere Gray, I'll introduce you to my no-sense-of-time cousin." Jack opened his mouth to continue when a calm, very feminine voice interrupted him.

"I'll introduce myself, if you don't mind."

Gray turned at the voice and found himself face to face with a girl watching back at him with two very large orbs of bright blue eyes. She had her blonde hair all tied up in a bun with a few strands of her hair falling, framing her face. _She looks... familiar. _Gray thought. Suddenly she smiled and held out a hand.

"Hello, I'm the new farmer. Just as you heard from my over-protective cousin, my full name is Claire Alexandra Avalon Roberts, but you can just call me Claire."

"The name's Gray."

It was when Gray took her hand that a memory flashed through his mind; the memory of a girl singing by the beach and whom he had mistaken for as a mermaid. And that very same girl was right in front of him shaking hands with him.

Heat began to creep up into Gray's face as his eyes began to widen as he continued to stare into the girl's blue eyes.

"Uhh... Gray?"

Jack's voice broke through Gray's thoughts and he realized he was still holding the girl's hand. Gray snatched his hand back and grabbed the rim of his hat, the colour of dark crimson spreading though his cheeks. When he glanced at the girl, he saw that she was looking straight at him curiously. _Think Gray. Think of how you can escape this situation and hammer yourself in the head later on._

"I'll go now. I got some things to do early in the morning. Bye." _Now then, time to bash my head with a hammer. _

Gray grabbed his hat lower to hide the redness in his cheeks and started to walk away.

"See you tomorrow Gray!"

Gray spun to her, his face showing briefly his disbelief. Claire was smiling at him. Hastily, he waved back to her and began to walk away more briskly. As soon as the farm was out of sight, Gray exhaled deeply, his heart beating somewhat faster than usual. He stopped and turned towards where the farm is, amazed at how the new girl could stir up some confusion into him. Gray took off his hat and ran his hand into his hair.

For some reason, he was so sure this year was going to be full of surprises.

* * *

><p><strong>A.N.<strong> Meh… I have absolutely had no excuse for updating this late except I was busy studying for my course this past few months… Plus I don't bring my laptop to my dorm because I easily get distracted from studying so, shoot me… :P Thanks for the reviews! ^^


	5. Chapter IV She's Different

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Harvest moon.

**Updated: **April 3, 2012

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter IV – She's Different<br>**

Mineral town: Blacksmith, 12:00 Noon, 6th of Summer.

The rhythmic hammering against metal resonated inside the blacksmith's, and then the intermittent sound of rocks bumping against each other was followed by the hiss of water. All throughout the morning, only occasional words were exchanged by the two relatives.

Tasked with repairing Rick's sickle, Gray threw random glances towards his grandfather, waiting for him to spring on him at any moment. _Crap. I really hope he overlooked it._

Stealing a glimpse at the wall clock, Gray realized that it's almost the end of his shift. Hoping against hope that he was saved by the bell, he began to pack away most of his tools with his back turned so he did not saw the scowl on his grandfather's face.

"Hey grandpa, I'm going now."

"No, you're not."

Gray flinched. _Damn, he noticed._

"I saw what you did back there. You messed up that chicken boy's sickle and spent the entire time trying to fix it! Do you think I'm a master blacksmith for nothing? Use your own head for once and focus on the work!"

_I know my mistakes; I don't need you to tell them to me._ Gray crossed his eyebrows as his grandfather continued shouting, his anger building. He finally snapped when Saibara called his skills mediocre and no better than an amateur.

"Well, how in the world am I going to be better if you keep humiliating me like that? Speak for yourself; you were also amateur once!" Gray yelled.

"Well a better amateur than you ever were!"

The two continued the shouting match that they neither of them noticed that the door opening.

"You and your stupid standards! I'm so damn sick and tired of you jumping down my throat every now and then!"

"Why you brat- keep that attitude up and you will never, ever be a master blacksmith! Hell, I doubt if anyone would even hire you for any work!"

"Uh, hello?"

A very feminine voice interrupted both of them and Gray didn't need to turn to know that it was Claire who had entered their shop. Funny how he immediately recognized her voice.

"Is this a bad time?"

Claire had directed her question to Gray. Embarrassed that she had witnessed the shouting match between him and his grandfather, Gray harshly told her, "Mind your own business."

Claire's eyes widened with shock as her mouth slightly fell open.

_Dammit, I didn't mean to say that._ Before Gray could apologize, his grandfather whacked him in the head.

"Where is your manners boy?" Saibara barked at Gray. "She's a customer and a lady and you darn treat her rightfully!" Saibara then squinted his eye at Claire and asked, "So, what brings you here girl?"

Claire looked at Gray a little while longer, making him uncomfortable. Finally, she looked at Saibara and told him, "I was hoping you would upgrade Jack's watering can; it's way past ready for an upgrade. Luckily, he left some ores and money so that I could just give it to you to upgrade it." She then grabbed her back pack and then took out 3 mystrile ores and a gold watering can.

"Mystrile eh? You'll get back the watering can in about three days. I'll be sending my grandson over the farm to deliver it. You sure you can live without a watering can?"

Claire grinned and shrugged. "Meh, I could live with a bucket and dipper for a few days."

The thought of Claire watering her plants with a bucket and dipper brought a smile to Gray's face. He quickly turned his head away to straighten his face, hoping nobody noticed. _C'mon Gray, you should apologize for being an ass._ As she began to leave, Gray blurted out to her. "Sorry."

Claire looked at him immediately. Gray lowered his cap to his face to hide his deepening blush. He glanced at her when he heard a muffled sound and was startled when he saw Claire grinning at him.

"It's okay. Everyone's cranky sometimes. See you again Gray, Mr. Saibara."

Gray looked away. _Cranky? Lady, you don't know the word cranky until you work for my grandpa. _

"Call me Saibara, I'll be seeing you a lot from now on and I don't like the sound of Mr. in front of my name." Saibara gruffly said. Claire nodded and left the shop.

Without looking at Gray, Saibara said, "It's a good thing that girl's understanding. Otherwise, you had frightened off another girl off the shop."

Gray snorted. "What and you call yourself an accommodating person? Everyone here knows you frighten the girls more than me. Hell, you even frighten off the guys."

"Hmph. And why should they be frightened to an old man like me?"

_Let's see, there's a permanent scowl in the face, a voice that rivals an angry bear and has the strength to wave a big, black hammer over your head. I wonder which of those scare them off. _Gray readjusted his hat as he looked at his grandfather in the eye. "I'll fix the sickle tomorrow."

"You better be! That's your mistake, learn to fix it!"

"Yeah, yeah. I don't need you to point it out."

"If that sickle's not finished by the day after tomorrow, I'll be keeping you here 'till midnight or so until you finished it!"

Gray shivered. _18 hours with him? I'd rather be stuck with Kai all day than be stuck with him! _"Don't worry, I'll finish it." Hauling his bag over his right shoulder, Gray left the shop.

* * *

><p><em>Later that same day.<em>

Claire picked up a bag of tomato seeds and asked Karen, "How much are these?"

Karen looked closely at the bag. "Tomato seeds; 200 G"

Claire sighed. She put bag back. She had been strolling around the shop, peering at items and asking Karen how much they were. Karen lifted up her eyebrow at her. "You know, I never thought you're a thrifty buyer."

Claire shrugged. "Yep. I never knew it also. Not until that cousin of mine asked me to stay over here and ask me to upgrade his barn, upgrade his tool and he didn't even had the decency to leave food in the fridge! What do men think of us, fairy godmothers of food?"

Karen laughed. "He didn't leave you any money?"

"He left me some. It's just that after upgrading his barn and watering can, I thought maybe FIRST I should have upgraded the watering can, buy food, and THEN upgraded his barn. That way, I still have decent food to shove down my throat."

"Don't worry Claire. If you need food, just ask me to cook some for you!" Karen gloated.

"Don't you dare cook anything for Claire to eat, Karen!"

Claire and Karen both whirled to see Ann looking exasperated. Ann took Claire's hands and said, "Promise me Claire; NEVER, ever eat anything Karen cooks unless you want to die of diarrhea!" Karen punched Ann's left shoulder. "My cooking's not THAT bad!"

Ann rubbed her shoulder. "Oh it isn't? Then promise me this Claire; NEVER, ever eat any food she cooked unless you want to be confined at the clinic!" Ann made a quick dodge as Karen tried to strangle her. Claire laughed as she watched the two race around the shop.

THUD!

Ann and Karen had toppled over several baskets that were on display. Karen paused momentarily to pick up the pile of baskets and put it back into place. Using this as an advantage, Ann sidestepped and ran over to Claire. "Claire help! A frustrated chef is chasing me!" Claire laughed as Ann hid behind her.

Karen glared at her and picked up a bag of flour. "Frustrated chef am I? Let's see how the great Ann Millens escape this bag of flour!" Karen waved the bag precariously at Ann, who was using Claire as a shield. Claire stretched out her hands to Karen. "Oh no, don't you dare throw that bag at me, Karen!" Claire then took a glance at Ann who was hiding behind her. "Throw it at Ann when she's not looking."

"Great idea Claire. Hey dad, I'm keeping a bag of flour okay?" Karen smiled at her father, Jeff who was standing behind the counter with an uncomfortable expression. "I don't think that's a great idea Karen. Especially when your mother hears-"

"What should I hear?"

Everyone turned to see Sasha at the doorway of the shop. She narrowed her eyes at her husband and asked again, "What should I hear?"

Jeff gulped. "Maybe Karen would like to tell you."

Sasha then directed her gaze towards her daughter. "Hmm. I don't suppose that bag of flour you're holding has anything to do with this?"

Claire took that as a cue and nudged Ann at her ribs. "Well then Karen, I think we should go now."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to interrupt your family time."

Karen ominously glared at the two girls. Mouthing _"I'll get you next time.", _Karen put down the bag of flour she was holding and started to explain to her mother.

_"Hurry." _Ann whispered to Claire. They quickly dashed outside the shop and grinned at each other while walking. "Do you think she'll get even with us?" Claire asked Ann.

"Count on it. Expect it the next time we enter their shop."

The two girls laughed. "Is Karen really bad at cooking?"

"Trust me Claire, when I say she cooks bad, I really mean confined to the clinic bad." Ann shrugged. "I don't even know how the Gourmet stomachs her cooking whenever he comes and judges at the Cooking Festival."

"The Gourmet judges the cooking then? Then you don't know the reason why he stomachs it?" Claire looked at Ann incredulously. "That's because he eats anything! You don't think he got THAT big without eating any food that passes by his eyes!"

Ann elbowed her. "Now that's mean. What did he do to you? And how did you know him?"

"Meh, I met him a few times years ago. And he talked nothing but food, food, FOOD!" Claire scoffed. "Did you know that he tried to woo my mother? He even wrote poetry about her." With an exaggerated movement of the arms, Claire gestured to the sky. "Oh Cynthia! Your big, meatball-shaped eyes shine like the blueness of my blue martini cocktail drink! Your lips are as red as the pasta sauce of spaghetti! Your skin is as fair as a hard boiled egg's skin!"

Ann was at the ground laughing her eyes off. "M-m-meatball-shaped eyes?" Ann collapsed again and clutched her stomach. "I-I think I'm gonna die!" Ann continued laughing while Claire smiled.

"If that kind of poetry moved your mother, then I'm gonna I fear for the future of humanity."

_I know that voice. _True enough, Claire looked around to see Gray leaning beside the tree with a hint of a smile on his lips. Claire smirked. "Gray you underestimate us. After the Gourmet cited his poetry, my mom politely declined his courting and kindly asked him to leave and stay 120 yards away from her. She even got a police restraining order to prove it!" By the time Claire finished, Ann was struggling to breathe and Gray had his hand over his mouth, evidently trying to hide his smile. Claire leaned forward to him. "Eh, is that a smile on Gray Renton's face?"

"Of course it is!" Gray removed his hand from his mouth and smiled at Claire. "I do smile sometimes you know." Disarmed by his smile, Claire blushed and quickly looked away, unconsciously fidgeting her hands. _Whoa, I didn't know Saibara Jr. could be charming when he smiles._ Unknown to them, Ann had already stopped laughing and eyeing them with a triumphant grin on her face. Gray grabbed and lowered his hat again over his face. "Well then, it's been a long day. I'm rather tired so I'm hitting the bed early."

"Oh." _Eek. _Claire hadn't meant to sound _that_ disappointed. "Well then, have a good night's rest then Gray."

"You rest too. Farm work's kinda hard, especially since you're a girl. Even Jack sometimes rest early." Gray eyed at her.

Claire snorted. "Don't worry; this city girl's got it all sorted out!" Claire tapped her hand at her chest.

The corner of Gray's mouth slightly turned upright. "See ya."

Claire watched Gray as he strode past them. Ann suddenly clapped Claire at the back. "I'll be going now too. Don't forget; Chicken Festival's tomorrow Claire! Bring any good chicken of Jack's" Claire nodded and waved at her. "Yeah, I'll bring Mina then. See you tomorrow Ann!"

Ann ran towards Gray and looked at him curiously. After a few paces, Gray suddenly stopped and turned back at Claire again and said in a rather loud voice. "I'm really sorry for earlier Claire!"

Claire smiled. "And I already told you; it's okay! Good night Gray! Good night Ann!" Claire then waved at them and both Gray and Ann continued on to walk. _How about that? He's rather nice if he smiles more often. Maybe he'll- _Claire suddenly shook the thought and sighed deeply. _What are you doing Claire? You're not here to flirt! You're here to take care of the farm! Show them you're not just a city girl with a very good singing voice! _Claire firmly nodded. Stealing a last look at Gray and Ann's backs, Claire started to walk back towards the farm.

* * *

><p>Gray glanced back again to see Claire walking the path to the farm. <em>So she's going home now, huh? <em>Gray then noticed Ann as a knowing grin spread across her face. _Ughh, she'll start teasing me for sure. _

"So Gray, what do you think of Claire?"

Gray shrugged. "She's got courage if she's going to bring Mina tomorrow."

Ann's smiling face turned into a puzzled look. "Why is that?"

"That chicken's a hellion when Jack's not the one handling her. Good luck to Claire if she decides on bringing her tomorrow for the festival."

"Hmm… You just gave me an idea. I'll bring a camera tomorrow then." Ann grinned and then eyed Gray more closely. "You sure that's all you can say about Claire?"

_What more? She's beautiful, kind, understanding and has a good singing voice. Like hell if I say those to Ann. _"She's… different."

Ann's eyebrows perked up. "Different? How?"

_Crap, just dug a deeper hole for myself. _"I dunno. Just a gut feeling. Now stop questioning me what I think of Claire." Gray glared at Ann.

"Hmm… A gut feeling eh?" Ann started whistling as they continued on to the inn.

Gray sighed. _Why did I say it like that? Now she'll never leave me be. _Gray then stared on to the distance, lost in his own thoughts.

_Different huh? Yes, Claire's definitely different._

* * *

><p><strong>A.N. <strong>A handful of mind block and college and extra-curricular activities and voila! So many months have passed since my last update. First off, thanks to all those who reviewed** Ancient Liddel, Minus Z, Punkcat17, FlamingIceWolfGirl, Massu Chan, tufted titmouse, Etoile of the twilight, and then for last chapter, GintsukiKyu , fanficnovelists , Massu Chan... **I promise you, I AM doing my best to update this soon enough. I try to brainstorm the next scene and it really takes me too long to vision another chapter and well, meh… Note, I SELDOMLY bring my laptop to my dorm because frankly, I don't really need it and I really need to study. Another thing, I KNOW there are people viewing my story, you don't know how much it motivates me that someone spares time reviewing my story so review please. ^^

**A.N. **Oh, and I noticed there's a bit of OOCness in my story. Forgive me, but I really want to give them a much more strong personality than what is shown in the game. And I gave some Claire POV so that you could see what she feels and thinks… J Also, if you noticed, Gourmet and Claire already met each other years ago… It will be explained in the later chapters of course! :3 (Hint: Gourmet is somewhat famous around because he travels and judges cooking contests doesn't he? :3)


	6. Chapter V The Chicken Festival

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters in Harvest moon. (Seriously, if I own them, what am I doing here writing a fanfic about it?)

**Updated: **_June 10, 2012_

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><p><strong>Chapter V - The Chicken Festival<strong>

Mineral town: Hope Farm, 7:00 am, 7th of Summer.

Hope farm always looked bare at the first week of the new season. A few sproutlings grew here and there and a big patch of grass that continuously grew by the side of the barn all-year round. Despite of the constant weeding and trimming of the field, weeds still grew all around the field with a vengeance; cut one down and two sprouts in its place. Still, in Claire's mind, she was glad she was here.

Well, maybe not THAT glad.

After planting the onion seeds she had bought the day before and watering the rest of the plants, Claire had ventured first inside the barn to feed the cows and Devin, Jack's horse. As she brushed them, the cows paused from their eating to nuzzle at her while she brushed their coats clean. Claire smiled at them and then sighed, wishing the next part of the task was just as easy as the rest. As Claire went to finish her next task, she dreaded each step she took towards her next destination.

The chicken coop.

Not all the chickens were that bad. They were just wary of the newcomer that replaced their beloved master, having been scared enough already by the wolf's constant howls throughout certain nights. But apparently, there was one chicken that was determined to speak out her rejection of her new master.

Mina.

As Claire entered the coop, it was as if an electric current shot out of the two contenders. _Ughh that chicken seriously gives me the chills. _As Claire glared at her less-than-a-foot tormentor, Claire could have sworn she saw the chicken's eyes glint with malice. She cautiously handed down the feed to the rest of the chickens while never taking her eyes off her antagonist. Claire put down Mina's feed an arm's length in front of her and quickly backed out as the cursed chicken tried to peck her.

After waiting a few moments, Claire vigilantly kneeled in front of Mina and said "Look here, today's the chicken festival and as much as I don't want to pick you, you're the best chicken around here. Mina, please, please don't do anything bad at the festival." Claire eyed the chicken as it stared right back at her. Claire thought she saw the chicken harrumphed and then continued to eat its food. Taking this as a good sign, Claire stood up and prayed hard to the harvest goddess that the chicken will behave.

If only she saw the mischievous glint on the chicken's face.

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><p><em>Sunset, at Forget-Me-Not Valley.<em>

"Jillian, will you please stop trying to walk every damn minute and let your legs heal first!"

Jack glared at his younger sister, Jill, as she also glowered at him as she sat across the sofa. They were at Serene Farm, their home farm and Jack was currently lecturing Jill when he found her hobbling across the farm again, trying to survey his work at the field again.

"What in the world do you think I'm here for? I already have a farm at Mineral town and you sure know as hell that I'm doing a great job there! What makes you think I can't farm at our home farm correctly?" Jack reproached Jill.

Jill pouted as she stared at her brother. "But this is MY farm now. I just wanna make sure you don't mess it up."

Jack sighed and threw his hands up. _What part of I'm-also-a-farmer-and-I-lived-here-years-ago does she not understand? _"Pony, I farmed here years ago! I understand you love the farm, but trust in me will you? I'm not going to bankrupt you by planting wrong seeds or forgetting to feed your animals. " Jack walked towards Jill and pinched her cheeks rather painfully. Jill slapped his hand away and glared at him further. After moments of staring at each other, Jill finally conceded.

"I know. But I just miss farming and feeding my animals and fishing and- urghh!" Jill crossed her arms. "Why did I have to slip in that stupid tree anyways? I'd been climbing up there since I was 7 and I never slipped up then!" Jill pouted.

Jack chuckled. "Just be glad nothing else is broken or you'll spend more days in the hospital."

"Hmph!" Jill scoffed. Just right then, the phone rang. Jack quickly walked and answered the phone on its third ring.

"Hullo." A second of silence. "Claire! What a surprise! How's the farm? Wait, I forgot, today was the chicken festival wasn't it? How's-" Jack's face abruptly turned into horror as he firmly said "No friggin' way. I'm not- Will you hear me out? Claire! Wait just a second here! The answers absolutely NO! What's it done to you anyway?" Suddenly Jack's face contorted with controlled mirth as he continued "Mina did WHAT? Claire, be reasonable, it's just a chicken! Claire! Stop it! Claire, if I go home and find Mina roasted and eaten, you'll seriously gonna pay for this! I repeat, You. Will. Not. Roast. Mina! Seriously Claire, it's just an animal, I can't believe you'll make it pay for some minor slip-up!" Jack fell silent as the person at the other end of the line ranted on him. "Okay maybe not that minor, but stop thinking about it. Okay, okay, I'm gonna make it up on what Mina did to you. Just- Just stop thinking on ways on how to eat my prized chicken okay! Okay, be careful and take care of the farm!" Jack hung up and grinned as he saw Jill laughing at the sofa.

"What did Mina do this time?"

"Pony, you will not believe what she did to our poor cousin."

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><p>"Hmph! He won't let me roast that friggin' chicken!"<p>

Gray snorted at Claire's statement. He quickly fell silent when he saw the blonde staring murderously at him. Gray shrugged. "Well, it could've been worse." Claire rolled her eyes at him as she grabbed the towel Ann offered and started toweling her hair dry.

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><p><em>Earlier at the Chicken Festival<em>

The inhabitants of Mineral town gathered at the Rose Square for the annual chicken festival. Even though almost all of them were there, only a few people would actually participate in the contest as only few of them look after chickens. As Gray casually lounged at the nearby bench, he silently observed the participants in the contest. The chickens. They were walking all over the plaza. Some were being cooed by Karen, Elli and Basil while others were being fed by Stu and May with corn bits. Mayor Thomas and Doctor Trent were admiring the healthiness of the other chickens and Mary and Popuri were petting the chickens by their heads. The rest of the townspeople, like Gray, were watching from the side lines, content with their places.

_I wonder where Claire is. _Gray looked from side to side. _She's not here yet. I bet Mina's giving her another thrashing._

"OUCH!"

_Right on cue._

Gray turned to see Claire holding a restless chicken by her arms. She was desperately trying not to get pecked by the annoyed bird in her arms. Seeing Gray looking right at her, Claire mouthed, _Help. _

Gray crossed his eyebrows. _Lady, that chicken hates me as much as you do._ But, seeing Claire's distress, Gray decided to be her knight in shining armor just for today. He stood up and walked over Claire who was juggling Mina and took the bird by the neck and secured both his hands on the bird's wings. _Now if I could only figure out not to get pecked. _

"Thank you so much Gray!" Claire fiddled at her bangs. "I really don't know what to do with it anymore." Mina squawked and tried to peck at Gray's hands which were luckily out of her reach. Claire narrowed her eyes. "Really, if Jack didn't love that chicken, I would have sold or eaten it already."

Gray laughed. "Yeah, well get in line. I don't know why Jack even keeps her."

Claire raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Then who else had this horrible chicken offended?"

"As far as I know, Won, Popuri, Rick, Zack, Mayor Thomas, Gotz, May, Stu, Kai, and Cliff. Even Mary politely rephrased her animosity with this chicken when she told Jack that she will not live with him unless this chicken is chained whenever she's out or dead."

Claire doubtfully asked. "Rick? And even Mary?"

Gray nodded, and hid his smile as Claire began to laugh her heart out. _Well, I think I eased her mind before the competition._

As both of them were chatting, Rick took the microphone and took the center stage of the plaza. "Ladies and gentlemen may I have your attention please! We are now going to begin the Chicken festival! Will the participants and their chickens come up the stage as I explain the rules briefly!"

Claire sighed and gestured at Gray to take Mina. Gray then released Mina carefully into Claire's hands. After securing her hold on Mina, Claire jogged to where Rick is.

_Good luck Claire. You're gonna need it. _Gray silently cheered and went back to the bench where he was seated before.

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><p>It had begun peacefully. Claire cheered on Mina in every match it faced. Surprisingly (or maybe it's in its nature already) Mina scared off all of its challengers. Within just a few seconds of the beginning round, Mina had either already driven off its opponents into the corner of the ring or its opponents flew off the ring. At first, Claire was worried Mina wouldn't listen to her and create chaos while being released into the ring but surprisingly, Mina behaved for the entire tournament. As Mina flapped her wings at her last opponent, Claire shouted Mina's name and Mina advanced at her opponent. Mina's opponent, probably terrified out of its wits, flew out of the ring before Mina could get near it.<p>

"Yes!" Claire jumped with her hands held high and several other people cheering for her and Mina. Gray smiled from the bench where he sat.

"And the winner of the Chicken festival and still undefeated two years in a row, Mina!" Rick proclaimed in the microphone while the crowd applauded. "Will its trainer go up and accept your rewards!"

Claire then went to pick up Mina, but the chicken apparently had other plans.

Mina started to cluck and peck everyone who was in her path. As Claire ran to pick her up, Mina ducked and pecked the hand reaching out to her.

"OW!" Claire quickly drew back her hand to see a bright red welt forming on the back of her hand. Growing irritated with the vile chicken, Claire stomped her foot and ran toward it. But apparently, the chicken must have the IQ of a normal human being, for it easily dodged the continuing chase for its capture. It swerved right out of Rick's hands, darted past Karen's sprint, jumped at Popuri's slide and continued to create chaos around the park. Only Ann seemed unperturbed by the events, as she had a very big smile on her face as she took pictures of the on-going chaos around her.

_This is getting ridiculous. _Gray covered his face with his palm as more and more people tried to subdue the abominable creature. "Gray, get out of there!" Gray lifted his hand only to see Mina running towards him with Claire tailing right behind it. Surprised, Gray tried to avoid the chicken as it went between his legs. With his balance off, and Claire colliding onto him, both of them easily fell towards the bushes.

"Oof!"

"Ah!"

Gray wrapped his arm protectively around Claire's waist as both of them fell towards the ground. The fall had momentarily knocked the breath out of Gray. After a few seconds of lying down and blinking his eyes to focus, Gray finally realized that he was rather hugging Claire rather tightly. _Crap. _Gray immediately released Claire as she frantically tried to sit up.

That was when her antagonist humiliated her further.

PLOP!

Claire rigidly sat on the ground as her brain clicked as she tried to comprehend what the creature had done to her. It _pooped_ right at her head.

Gray sat beside her as he bit down his cheeks hard so that he would not crack even the tiniest upturn of his mouth. Doing so would incur the wrath of the livid farmer beside him. Claire slowly stood up, her aura murderous.

"That's it! I'm going to roast that damned chicken even if that's the last thing I do!" Claire shrieked.

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><p>"Oohh, my favourite part was that Mina managed to avoid Claire as she ran all over the park!" Ann hooted and slapped her knee. After the townspeople finally subdued the chicken from hell, Rick offered to take care of Mina for a while, as each and every one of them present there knew Claire would probably strangle the life out of the chicken once she gets her hands on her. Ann and Doug offered some free drinks to help calm the blonde farmer down and offered to let her use the bathroom to wash the filth out of her head. After calling and ranting to Jack, Claire grumpily sat down and began to eat dinner with them.<p>

Ann sat down beside Claire and slapped her back, earning a few coughs from the farmer who was at the time swallowing her food. "Don't worry Claire! You're just one of the folks who are in line with wanting to kill Mina. Don't take it to the heart!" Ann joked.

Claire glared at Ann as she took a glass of water to drink. "Yeah, well did anyone else got pooped in the head while in a public place full with people you barely know?"

"No, but at least she didn't chase you up the tree just like what happened to Won. Boy oh boy, Won was practically crowing help when Jack arrived home from the library." Ann smirked but saw that Claire was still pouting. Ann elbowed her "C'mon cheer up! At least almost everyone here knows that Mina really is like that when Jack is not handling her. Although," Ann placed a hand on her forehead "I'm ashamed that I didn't know that it was Mina who tortured Won."

Cliff raised his eyebrows. "What? Everyone within a five-mile radius could literally hear him scream from the farm."

Ann huffed. "I didn't know that it was a chicken named Mina!"

Gray watched as Ann and Cliff bickered. _Really, these two lovebirds. _Gray took a sip of his drink and watched Claire as she grumpily ate the rest of her dinner. _Dammit, how do you cheer up girls? _Gray put down his glass. "Claire."

Claire's head snapped up and look at him. _Great. Now what do you say to her? _Gray's mind suddenly went blank as Claire eyed him with those big blue orbs of hers. _Gray, now's not the time to be tongue-tied._ "Don't worry, if Mina still creates trouble for you, just go to the blacksmith's and we'll roast her on the open furnace."

Claire looked confused at first but then broke out with a smile. "And risk Jack's wrath?"

"He owes me one. And for pete's sake, he already knew that half of the town hates his chicken, why won't he do something with it."

Claire grinned. After a few moments of fiddling at her food, Claire looked at Gray "Thank you."

The corner of his mouth turned. "No problem." Gray looked sideways to see Ann eyeing at him with a knowing grin, and Cliff regarding at him with a flabbergasted look. He signaled at them. _What? _But Ann and Cliff just shook their heads at him. Gray scowled at them.

Claire pushed her plate away from her. "I think it's rather late. Thanks for the food." Claire stood up from the table and took her rucksack. She turned and smiled at the three of them. "Well, see you tomorrow, I guess."

"See you!"

"Drop by again tomorrow!"

"Take care."

Claire was still smiling but after several moments, her face suddenly looked miserable. "Ugghh, I dread facing the people tomorrow."

"Don't worry! When you face them, just think of Won!" Ann shouted at her.

With a soft giggle, Claire closed the door of the inn.

Gray stared at the door where Claire had been moments before and then grabbed the rim of his hat. _What an eventful day. _Gray slowly looked at his hands as he remembered the time he had hugged Claire. That time, he was invaded by the scent of Claire's shampoo as her hair smacked at bottom of his chin. _So, she uses strawberry-scented shampoo huh? _Gray's eyes suddenly popped out. _What the- Gray! Don't go turning pervert! _He looked sideways to see Ann arching her eyebrow at him. "Well, well, well. Gray Renton's not mad at today's mischief?"

Gray scoffed, desperate not to let Ann discover what he was thinking about moments before. "I was. But it vanished as soon as Mina pooped at her."

Ann and Cliff smirked. "Good thing we didn't laugh or we might've end up next in her list to kill."

Gray yawned and then waved his hand dismissively at the two and stated "I'm going to bed, see ya."

"Goodnight Gray!" The couple echoed. As they watched him disappear up the stairs, Cliff raised his eyebrow at Ann and asked "So you shot any interesting pictures then?"

Ann beamed "The very best."

Ann took out her camera and then scrolled to look at the pictures she took that day. She focused on one picture, the one she surprisingly shot perfectly when Claire had barreled into Gray moments before both of them fell. The shot looked like the two were hugging as they were momentarily suspended in mid-air.

"Hmm… Now what to do with this?" Ann grinned suggestively at Cliff.

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><p><strong>A.N. <strong> No chickens were harmed in writing his story… Really, I like chickens… :) I noticed that I somewhat exaggerated Mina's reaction to Claire but I'll just make a note that most of the household pets are like that especially when someone they've grown used to suddenly disappears and replaced by someone else. I just don't know if these apply to chickens also. The cows and Devin, the horse, are a bit more lenient because I pitied Claire… Hahahaha…:) I thought that if the horse and cows are just as bad as Mina, Claire would leave the farm first thing the next morning and never look back. I took the idea of a chicken chasing Won up a tree from Big Bang Theory series where Sheldon got chased up a tree by a chicken… Well, since I was writing about evil chickens and Won and Sheldon somewhat are the same, I thought, what the heck, I'm borrowing the idea… :P Oh, as a reminder, Jill's name is Jillian Rose Avalon and is also called as Pony.

**Author's ramblings:** I'm currently addicted to Avatar: Legend of Korra and Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance… Seriously, I became a hard core Makorra fan. And now for another long wait for the next chapter… Wahahaha…


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